Systems and methods for third party satellite radio activation and management

ABSTRACT

System and methods for management of third party satellite radio activation/deactivation by a vehicle rental service company, wherein satellite radio services may be provided in a rental car when requested by a customer. The systems and methods will enable activation of a satellite radio shortly before or at the start of the rental period, and activation may be altered by the vehicle rental service company in the event that the rental period is shortened or extended, or if the vehicle is exchanged. The systems and methods deactivate the satellite radio service at the end of the rental period. The systems and methods may also be used to activate or deactivate other equipment or services made available via a vehicle rental service company in response to a customer request.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many vehicle rental companies utilize vehicles equipped with in-carsatellite radio systems. Unfortunately, companies that provide vehiclerental services have no ability to control the activation ordeactivation of such systems. Consequently, vehicle rental servicecompanies often do not activate such systems, and rental customers areoften unable to access such services.

Some vehicle rental service companies have overcome this limitation byoffering customers the opportunity to rent a portable satellite radiodevice, which provide access to satellite radio services. These devicestypically are provided to the customer at a rental agency counter, andthe customer must take the device to the vehicle and install it, oftenby connecting the unit to the vehicle radio via a cable plugged into anauxiliary jack. The customer must also connect the device to a powersupply, such as via a cable plugged into the vehicle lighter assembly.While providing the desired service, such portable radio devices areproblematic in several respects, in that they are bulky and create anuisance value as customers have to carry something “extra” to thevehicle. Furthermore, the devices create logistical issues for therental service, as complicated procedures are required for thecollection, storage, allocation, distribution and return of the devices.For example, the service must ensure that particular rental locationshave such portable devices available if the customer requested a radioduring the reservation, or at the time of rental check-out. Verificationof the return of the portable unit, along with logistics for devicesthat have been lost or damaged creates additional overhead andcomplexity.

By enabling a rental customer to access satellite radio services throughan in-car satellite radio system, such as a factory installed satelliteradio, the present invention eliminates this “extra nuisance” from thecustomer perspective, providing for a better rental experience. Thepresent invention also eliminates the need for portable satellite radiounits, and the costly logistics associated with use of portable devices,thereby reducing rental agency service expense and overhead.

In accordance with the present invention, satellite radio services willbe available to rental customers through an in-car satellite radio. Theservice can be requested by the rental customer at the time ofreservation, or at the time of rental vehicle pick-up. The satelliteradio service will be activated during the period of time specified inthe rental contract, and suspended at the conclusion of the rentalperiod, permitting the service to be provided to only those customersthat request satellite radio services. By allowing customers to choosewhether the rental should or should not include satellite radioservices, and to provide such services without the need for the customerto carry and install the device, customer service will be improved,thereby allowing the rental service agency to increase use of theservice and generate more revenue.

In accordance with the present invention, the system and method enablesa rental customer to book satellite radio service for their rental whencreating a reservation or modifying an existing reservation. Thesatellite radio service will be activated shortly before, or at the timethe vehicle is checked-out of the rental establishment. In addition, thesystem and method may alter the activation period of the satellite radioservice, in the event that the rental period is extended, or if thevehicle is exchanged. Activation, deactivation, and exchange isaccomplished via a system and method that creates applicable fields in arental reservation, and communicates an applicable activation message tothe satellite radio service provider, to enable the service provider toactivate/deactivate the satellite radio in the vehicle associated withthe reservation, in the time frames specified by the vehicle rentalservice company.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following relates to systems and methods for third party activationand management system that is particularly applicable to satellite radioservices. The systems and methods enable a vehicle rental servicecompany to offer in-car satellite radio services as an option that thecustomer may purchase for use during rental of a vehicle.

The systems and methods of the present invention create an electronicrecord at the time that an auto rental reservation has been createdwhere satellite radio services have been requested. Prior to thecontracted rental period, the systems and methods will communicate witha satellite radio service provider and transmit a message to thesatellite radio service system interface requesting activation of thein-car satellite radio for the vehicle associated with the rentalcontract. The message will contain one or more codes identifying, forexample, the vehicle number (VIN) or a unique identifier (ESN) for theinstalled device associated with the rental vehicle, the date and timeto activate the satellite radio service on the satellite radio deviceinstalled in the rental vehicle, and the date and time to terminate thesatellite radio service in the rental vehicle. The satellite radioservice will then transmit an activation signal to that specifieddevice. The activation message originating from the vehicle rentalsystem may be sent as part of an automated process, as is the case whena renter completes the rental process directly, by bypassing a rentalagent contact, or in response to a request processed by a rental agent,when the renter makes or alters a reservation just prior to check-out.In addition, the systems and methods enable the processing of orders tochange activation instructions before and after transmission to theservice providers, to accommodate for changes to the vehicle rentalperiod or the satellite radio service period. Once activated, the rentalcustomer will be able to use the in-car satellite radio to receivesatellite radio programming distributed by the satellite radio service.At the conclusion of the rental period, utilizing the systems andmethods described herein, the satellite radio service will transmit adeactivation code to deactivate the satellite radio in the specifiedrental vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying figures, in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary illustration of a network for implementation ofsystems and methods of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary illustration of network connections formanagement and activation/deactivation of services in rental vehiclesthrough the systems and methods of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary illustration of a computer network for thesystems and methods of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary overview of reservation management from thecustomer's perspective for a vehicle rental reservation that includessatellite radio services.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary illustration of systems and methods for managingcustomer checkouts for rentals that include the ability to requestin-car satellite radio services.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary illustration of a system for managingunsuccessful satellite radio unlocks in connection with vehicle rentals.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary illustration of systems and methods for managingactivations/deactivations of satellite radio services in conjunctionwith modification of a vehicle rental contract.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary illustration of systems and methods for managingsatellite radio services in vehicles subject to extensions of thevehicle rental contract.

FIG. 9 is an exemplary illustration of systems and methods for managingvehicle exchanges for rentals with an installed satellite radio device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is described below with reference to theillustrative diagrams in accordance with the invention. It is understoodthat the systems and methods described in each of the diagrams may beimplemented by means of analog or digital hardware and computer programinstructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus, such that theinstructions, which execute via the processor of a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus, implement the functions/actsspecified in the diagrams and text of this application.

Headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are notmeant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. Asused throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissivesense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatorysense (i.e., meaning must).

General System Overview

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network for implementation of systemsand methods for third party management of satellite radio services. Theservices and methods are controlled by a rental management system, whichtypically manages all aspects of vehicle rentals. Such managementsystems typically include a mainframe computer system, connected toservers that run different aspects of the system, such as reservations,financial processing, fleet information and management, customer dataand communications, external communications, and security systems, etc.The system is also connected to one or more databases and data storagesystems and equipment, including back-up systems. However, alternativenetwork configurations are possible, including configurations thatinclude cloud based systems, as will be understood in the art.

As shown in FIG. 1, customers may connect to the reservation systemthrough a variety of means, to create a vehicle reservation. Theseconnections include, for example, direct and indirect connections to thevehicle rental service company via mobile devices 5, wired devices 10,15, in-person agents 20, and internet connected devices 35, 40. Personsmay also connect to the reservation system, and create a reservation viathird party reservation agents and services, including travel agencies,online services, and services managed by airlines, credit card companiesand other entities 25, 30. Well-known reservation systems commonly usedto make vehicle rental reservations include Sabre, Amadeus, Galileo andWorldspan. Reservations may also be made via an app.

Reservations are created in a reservation system 45 via a reservationapplication, which runs on equipment that is connected to, or part of,rental management system 50, which forms a central hub of the overallnetwork 55. The rental management system 50 is networked to local rentalfacilities 60, 61, 62, 63, so that reservation information can bedelivered to the local facility designated in the reservation forfulfillment or modification as needed at the facility.

Management of fleet vehicles, including vehicle availability andequipment, is managed by a fleet management system 65, which may be partof or connected to the rental management system 50. The fleet managementsystem 65 may also communicate with the local rental facilitiesregarding the availability of rental vehicles, which is needed forreservations and fulfillment.

The rental management system 50 is also connected to equipmentassociated with a service provider 70, such as a satellite radio serviceprovider. This connection is controlled by a service interfacemanagement system 75. At the appropriate time, the rental managementsystem 50 communicates a request, via the service interface managementsystem 75 and the network connection, to the satellite radio serviceprovider 70, to activate a particular satellite radio device. Inaccordance with the request, the satellite radio service provider 70will transmit an activation signal and, later, a deactivation signal tothe in-car satellite radio device to activate/deactivate it inaccordance with the data and instructions contained in the request.

The network 55 includes billing system 80, which enables the rentalmanagement system to invoice customers for the services that areactivated, and to track activations for purposes of financialarrangements with the service provider. The billing system processesinvoices and credit card charges for payments associated with rentals,and connects to one or more databases and data storage systems toprocess and store transaction data, customer preferences, and rentalrecords.

As shown in FIG. 2, the local facilities 100 include a vehicle lot and afront desk, where rental agents are available. A customer may interactwith the vehicle rental service company at these facilities to requestservices or change a pre-existing reservation. These facilities areconnected to the rental management system 50. In the preferredembodiment, the rental management system 50 may engage in two-waycommunication with the satellite radio service provider's system, viathe service interface management system, to send activation/deactivationrequests and associated data to the satellite radio service provider,and receive confirmation of activation/deactivation requests. Thistwo-way communication may also include communication about fleet data,including fleet vehicles, and data concerning satellite equipmentinstalled on fleet vehicles, as described later in this application.Once the service provider has received information from the rentalmanagement system identifying the vehicle or satellite radio device tobe activated, with data comprising at least the date and time ofactivation, the service provider 70 transmits a satellite radioactivation signal to the identified satellite radio device 105 toactivate it. Since in-car satellite radios typically comprise onlyreceivers, these activation signals are one-way, and may be repeatedover a designated period of time by the satellite radio service providerto ensure that the designated radio is activated. Further, in thepreferred embodiment, activation is requested prior to the start of therental period, so that the customer will receive an automobile at thetime of pick-up with a working in-car satellite radio. Depending on theequipment and programming options provided by the satellite radioservice provider, the activation scheme could include providing thesatellite radio service provider with instructions including futureactivation and deactivation dates and times, activation date and timewith separate instructions for deactivation date and time, and notifyingthe satellite service provider at the exact time that activation or thatdeactivation is required.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rental management system includes a rentalmanagement processor 125, which may be a mainframe computer system. Therental management processor interacts with reservation system 45, whichcreates and manages reservations. The reservation system 45 and rentalmanagement processor 125 also communicate with a reservation/rentaldatabase, which stores reservation data, and a rental system 130, whichmanages and tracks rentals in progress. The reservation system andrental system may operate as part of the mainframe computer system,although other configurations would also be suitable. In a mainframeconfiguration, the mainframe interacts with various application servers,including servers that provide communications capability outside therental management system. These servers may include, for example, aserver for communicating with service provider servers 150, such asservice interface management application server 135. The servers mayalso provide network security, such as that provided by security systemsgateway 140. The servers providing communications capability enablecommunication with and transmission of activation/deactivation messagesto the equipment operated by satellite radio or other service providers150. Financial processing systems 145 may be part of the mainframecomputer system, or may be run on one or more servers separate from themainframe.

Checkout System Overview

The following paragraphs provide examples of how the inventive systemmay be configured to handle vehicle check-outs. However, given thecomplexity of vehicle rental reservation systems, and the number ofmethodologies that may be employed to complete the rental process, theseexamples should not be viewed as exclusive. The described system may beadopted and implemented in additional ways without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary overview of the reservation managementfrom the customer's perspective for a vehicle rental reservation thatincludes satellite radio services. Initially, a customer makes areservation for a rental vehicle, and may select the option of havingsatellite radio services as part of the rental 160. The system willconvert that selection to a special equipment code for an in-carsatellite radio device. The special equipment code will be one of thetracked and tabulated values associated with the reservation. Prior tothe customer arriving at the pick-up facility, the system will assign avehicle to the reservation consistent with the features selected by thecustomer. In this scenario, the vehicle assigned to the reservationincludes in-car satellite radio equipment.

Next, the customer arrives at a particular rental location to pick-upthe reserved vehicle at an appointed time. Depending on the facility andthe vehicle rental service company, the customer may be able to proceeddirectly to the assigned vehicle for check-out 180. If so, the customerproceeds to their vehicle, the contract is finalized, and the customermay leave the premises with the assigned vehicle 210. For reservationsinvolving direct customer check-out, the system will requesttransmission of an activation message to the satellite radio serviceprovider prior to the arrival of the customer, resulting in transmissionof an activation signal 170 prior to the start of the rental contract.The preferred time for activation is about 5 minutes to about 15 minutesprior to the reservation. In such manner, the customer may use thein-car satellite radio device as soon as they arrive at the vehicle, andactivation may be confirmed as the customer leaves the facility andfinalizes the contract.

At certain facilities, or for certain rentals, or if the customerdesires to modify a reservation, the customer may visit a servicecounter to complete the rental transaction check-out 190. In such cases,where the contract specifies the services and the assigned vehicleincludes the satellite radio services, when the vehicle is changed orassigned at check-out 200, the system will send a message to thesatellite radio service requesting immediate activation of theassociated in-car satellite radio system. As a result, the in-car devicewill be activated just prior to or shortly after check-out is completed.The rental period then begins 210. At the conclusion of the rental term,the vehicle is returned 220 and the satellite radio is deactivated 230.The satellite radio services may be terminated at the time of return orat the time the contract is set to expire.

FIG. 5 contains a flow chart illustrating how a system in accordancewith the invention can manage customer checkouts that do not involvedirect vehicle pick-up. As shown in FIG. 5, the checkout module isstarted when a customer arrives at a rental facility to pick-up avehicle 250. First, the system must identify the customer and thereservation 260. As illustrated by the decision tree in FIG. 5, thesystem determines whether the reservation includes a request forsatellite radio service 270. If the answer is “no” then the customer, oran agent completing the checkout process for the customer, will make avehicle selection 280. Once the vehicle selection has been made, thesystem will then determine whether the selected vehicle has an installedsatellite radio device 290. If the answer is “no” then the checkoutprocess is completed 300. If the selected rental vehicle includes aninstalled satellite radio device, the customer may again be askedwhether they desire satellite radio service 310. If the customer doesnot request the service, checkout is completed 300. If the customer doesrequest the service, the system adds the service to the reservation,checkout is completed 320 and an activation message is sent to thesatellite radio service 330 to immediately activate the radio in theassigned vehicle.

If the initial reservation included a request for satellite radioservice, a vehicle may be selected manually from a list of availablevehicles 280. Further, as some vehicle rental companies maintain listsof vehicles “ready” for rental, the system may display a “ready list”340, which can be sorted by an accessory code for “satellite radio” 370.Once a vehicle is selected, the system confirms whether the vehicleincludes satellite radio equipment 380. If not, satellite radio servicesmay be deleted from the reservation 390 and the customer or agentnotified with a message such as, “Selected Vehicle Does Not HaveRequested Equipment, Option Will Be Removed.” If a suitable vehicle withsatellite radio equipment is selected, the satellite radio featureoption will be included in the reservation and the checkout processcompleted 320. Thereafter, the system will transmit an activationmessage to the satellite radio service provider to immediately activatethe service on the associated in-car satellite radio device 330.

When the appropriate reservation field specifies satellite radioservices, and the selected vehicle has satellite radio equipmentinstalled in it, the rental management system 50 will detect this matchand transmit via the service interface management system 75 a message tothe satellite radio service provider to activate the radio in thevehicle assigned to the reservation. For all other conditions, anactivation message will not be sent to the satellite radio serviceprovider. This process of message sending from the rental managementsystem to the satellite radio service provider will be followed for alltype of rentals i.e., real time, delayed and future rentals.

After the customer returns the vehicle at the conclusion of the rentalperiod, the satellite radio service provider will transmit adeactivation signal to deactivate the in-car satellite radio device aspreviously scheduled. The system may also be configured to requesttransmission of a deactivation code when the vehicle is actuallyreturned to a rental facility.

The vehicle rental service company can provide by telephone for anyother viable means of communication), dedicated customer service andsupport to address any issues encountered regarding activation or use ofthe in-car satellite radio device. This service and support may include,if need be, re-transmitting an activation request as shown in the resetmodule of FIG. 6. This module is configured to enable the system toresolve unsuccessful satellite radio unlocks. The module may beactivated when a customer reports that satellite radio activation wasnot successful. As shown in FIG. 6, once the module is selected andstarted 400, the reservation contract or customer account must beidentified 410. Next, the system confirms whether the contract includessatellite radio services 420. If the answer is “no” then the system willdeliver an invalid action message 430 and conclude. If the answer is“yes” then the system will complete a “rehit” process 440 and transmit amessage to the satellite radio service provider to resend an activationcode to the assigned vehicle's in-car satellite radio 450.

Rental Modification Overview

FIG. 7 illustrates a rental modification module for use with the systemand method. Through this module, the system is configured to accommodatemodifications to rental contracts. As shown in FIG. 7, once the moduleis activated 500, the reservation contract or customer account mustfirst be identified 510. Thereafter, the system will determine whetherthe original contract specified satellite radio services 520. If theanswer is “no”, the system will ask whether these services were addedduring the rental modification 530. If the answer is “no”, the contractmodification proceeds to completion 540. If satellite radio serviceswere added to the contract during modification, the system determineswhether the selected vehicle includes satellite radio equipment 550. Ifthe answer is “no” then the rental agent is trying to add the servicesto a vehicle that is not equipped to provide these services, and thesystem will return an error message, such as “Cannot Add As Selected CarDoes Not Have Equipment.” An alternative vehicle can be specified, orthe system can delete the services from the modification request. If themodification specifies the services, and the vehicle has the necessaryequipment, the system will complete the modification process 560 andsend a new activation message to the satellite radio service 570. If theoriginal contract specified satellite radio services, the system willquery whether the assigned vehicle system has an installed satelliteradio device 580. If the answer is “yes” then the system will completethe rental modification process 560 and send a new activation message tothe satellite radio service 570. If the answer is “no”, an error messagewill be returned, such as “Selected Car Does Not Have Equipment,Equipment Will Be Removed.” Thereafter, an alternative vehicle could beselected, or the services can be removed from the contract.

Rental Extensions Overview

FIG. 8 illustrates a rental extensions module for use with the systemsand methods of the present invention. This module can configure thesystem to manage extensions to the rental period for vehicles with aninstalled satellite radio device. As shown in FIG. 8, once the module isactivated for a contract extension 600, the reservation contract orcustomer account must be identified 610. The system will then querywhether the original contract specified satellite radio services 620. Ifthe answer is “no”, then the system will determine whether the extensionincludes the addition of such services 630. If the answer is “no”, theextension is completed 640. Returning to the query as to whether therental agent modified the contract to specify satellite radio servicesduring the rental extension, if the answer is “yes” then the system willdetermine whether the vehicle associated with the extension has aninstalled satellite radio device 650. If the answer is “no” then thesystem returns an error message such as, “Can Not Add Service AsSelected Car Does Not Have Equipment” 660. The services are next removedfrom the extension process, and the extension is completed 640. If theanswer is “yes” the system will complete the extension 670 and will senda new activation message to the satellite radio service provider foractivation of the satellite radio device in the assigned vehicle 680.Returning to the initial system query as to whether the originalcontract specified satellite radio services, if the answer is “yes” thevehicle already has an activated satellite radio, the extension iscompleted 670, and the system sends a message to the satellite radioservice provider to alter the prior activation instructions 680. Thismessage may be in the form of an activation request with an extra fieldto signify that this is an extension to the original activation period.No message is transmitted for any other type of contract modification.

Vehicle Exchange Overview

FIG. 9 illustrates a vehicle exchange module for use with the systemsand methods of the present invention. Through this module, the system isconfigured to accommodate changes to rental contracts involving vehicleexchanges. As shown in FIG. 9, once the module is activated 700, thereservation contract or customer account must be identified 710. Next,the system will determine whether the original contract specifiedsatellite radio services 720. If the answer is “no” then the vehicleexchange is completed and concluded 730. If the answer is “yes” then thesystem queries whether the new vehicle has satellite radio equipment740. If the answer is “yes” the exchange will be completed 750, and thesystem will send a new activation message to the satellite radio serviceprovider to activate the satellite radio equipment in the new vehicle760. If the answer is “no”, the new vehicle does not have an installedsatellite radio device and the system returns an error message, such as“Selected Car Does Not Have Equipment, Press Enter To Continue.” Adifferent vehicle may be selected and the process repeated, or thespecified satellite radio services are removed from the reservationcontract and the modification process completed. Exchanges may be donein real time, or may be set for a future time when the customer isscheduled to arrive at the rental facility. If set for a future time,and if an activation message is required, it will be transmitted shortlybefore the scheduled start of the exchange period.

Activation and Deactivation Process Overview

The system may perform activation and deactivation for satellite radioservices in a variety of ways. In the preferred embodiment, a mainframecomputer system, which receives customer reservation information,generates activation/deactivation messages, with tracked and tabulateddata entering a message queue. The following data may preferably bestored in the message queue for each contract specifying the services:

(i) Rental agreement number;

(ii) Check-out location;

(iii) Check-in location;

(iv) Check-out date and time;

(v) Check-in date and time;

(vi) Length of rental;

(vii) VIN;

(viii) Request type (Unlock/Extend/Rehit/Exchange);

(ix) Corporate code;

(x) MVA (motor vehicle administration information).

The data in the message queue is transferred from the mainframe toapplication servers used for further processing. The application serversconvert the check-out date/time into EST based on the rental locationtime zone using a location database. Check-in time will be converted toUTC (Coordinated Universal Time) time zone or another time zonespecified by the satellite radio service company or other third partyservice provider. The application servers determine whether the checkoutdate and time is in the future and, if so, will put the data on adelayed message queue with a “ready to send flag” as “false” and “retrytime” as x minutes before the check-out time. The application serverswill constantly poll delayed messages for “ready to send flag” as falseand “retry time” as the current time. When the application serversidentify a message in the queue as the current time, the ready to sendflag can be changed to true, and the message transmitted to thesatellite radio service provider.

The servers may be configured to send, for example, a simple objectaccess protocol (Soap) request to servers operated by the satelliteradio service provider to unlock the installed satellite radio device onthe identified rental vehicle. The system can also be configured totransmit requests using other protocols, including protocols that may benecessary for interaction with a particular third party satelliteservice provider, or other third party service provider. All message andrequest transmissions are carried out by secure sockets layer (SSL) orother forms of encryption, and internal networks are protected by asecurity gateway and firewall. External networking with the satelliteradio service system servers may occur via Ethernet or other knowncommunication pathways and technologies.

Requests may be sent in real time to the satellite radio serviceprovider in the following conditions:

(i) If the checkout date and time is the current date and time;

(ii) If the checkout date and time has already past (delayed check out);

(iii) If the request is for vehicle exchange.

If the request is for a rental extension, the application servers willsend an extend request to the satellite radio service with the new enddate in UTC format. If a rental agent sends an unlock request using anew action code, then the servers will send a rehit transaction to thesatellite radio service.

Depending upon the system configuration, the application servers willformulate a Soap request and read the Soap response from the satelliteradio service provider. For example, the response may include a servicerequest result code and result description. This data object will holdthe data that has to be transferred between the mainframe and the thirdparty service, and may be stored in a database for future reference. Inaddition to the data transmitted to the original Soap, the data objectmay also include a unique request Id, and a corporate Id.

Fleet/Defleet Management System

A vehicle rental service company may have a dynamic fleet of vehicles,with many vehicles being added and removed from the fleet on a dailybasis. Further, certain vehicles may be specialty vehicles that are notsubject to a particular program, such as the satellite radio rentalprogram. For these reasons, it is important to maintain accurate, up todate information on the fleet, and the equipment installed in eachvehicle. Accordingly, another aspect of the invention is the fleet datamanagement system.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system and method of the present inventionincludes the use of a fleet management system 65, which generates andmaintains a database of fleet information. This database includesinformation about fleet vehicles and the equipment installed on eachvehicle in the fleet. The database may include, for example, for eachvehicle in the fleet, YIN number, equipment serial numbers, accessorycodes, and designations as to whether the vehicle is or is not includedin particular service programs. The fleet management system 65 updatesthe fleet database on a regular basis to reflect changes in the fleet,including in-fleeting (additions to the fleet) and de-fleeting (removalof vehicles from the fleet), changes to equipment serial numbers andaccessory codes reflecting vehicle equipment changes, and changes toservice program participation. The preferred embodiment includes theassignment of an accessory code to each vehicle in the fleet indicatingwhether a vehicle has satellite radio equipment, and the status of thatequipment (e.g. activated, initial set-up complete, awaiting initialset-up).

The fleet database may be created or supplemented with the assistance ofthe satellite radio service provider. For example, the vehicle rentalservice company may provide the satellite radio service provider with alist of vehicles in the fleet, typically including VIN or MVA number,make, model and year. The satellite radio service provider maythereafter create a list or table including radio serial numbers thatcorrespond to the provided VIN or MVA numbers, which may be transmittedto the vehicle rental service company, along with a file to be utilizedby the fleet management system 65 to confirm that each vehicle in thefleet database is also present in the satellite radio service providerlist. The satellite radio service provider and vehicle rental servicecompany may also communicate any discrepancies or errors noted in theirrespective lists, including via the exchange of electronic error codes.These errors may be investigated to determine whether the data utilizedby the fleet management system is inaccurate or whether the serviceprovider's data is inaccurate. The fleet information data is exchangedthrough the service interface management system 75 connection to theservice provider 70, using secure file transfer protocols.

The fleet information data may also include a code to identify vehiclesparticipating or not participating in the program. For example, this canalso be accomplished with an accessory code to denote a special vehicleversus a regular vehicle. This is useful where, for example, certainvehicles have the satellite radio service always active, while vehiclesin the program may have the satellite radio service in an active/lockedmode, to be unlocked in accordance with the systems and methods of thepresent invention.

If fleet data is exchanged with the satellite radio service provider,the data fields may include a unique transaction Id, anin-fleet/de-fleet indicator, VIN, MVA, make, model, special/regularindicator, radio Id, processed date/time, success/failure indicator, andfailure reason. Other fields may also be included. For de-fleeting, thefleet management system 65 will read the data, and communicate to thesatellite radio service provider 70, via the service interfacemanagement system 75, every vehicle that was removed from the fleet thatcontained satellite radio equipment. The satellite radio serviceprovider would then remove the vehicle from the program. In thepreferred system, in-fleet and de-fleet data is exchanged on a periodicbasis, such as on a daily basis.

In order to operate the systems and methods contemplated by the presentinvention, the vehicle rental service company must share sufficientinformation with the satellite radio service provider to enable itidentify the satellite radio to be activated. For example, theactivation message may include the serial number of the specific radioto be activated. If vehicle data is shared with the satellite radioservice provider, the vehicle rental service company may share a VINnumber, which can be read by the satellite radio service provider,matched with a satellite radio via a data table, and utilized toactivate the appropriate radio.

Although the system and method of the present invention has beendescribed in the context of management of the activation/deactivation ofsatellite radio equipment, persons skilled in the art will recognizethat the disclosed systems and methods may be utilized for management ofother types of equipment installed in vehicles via satellite or otherradio signals. For example, the systems and methods of the presentinvention may be utilized to manage and activate/deactivate vehicleequipment such as headrest and other television and video monitors,installed GPS systems, dashboard cameras, car backup sensors, radardetectors, and other installable electronic devices designed to enhancethe customer experience while renting a vehicle. The systems and methodsmay also be utilized to manage and activate/deactivate wireless andmobile based services and programming in a rental vehicle, including,for example, access to video games, television programming, movies,internet radio services, news services, directory services, brokerageservices, photo-uploading (print and storage) services, instantmessaging and chat services, booking and ticketing services, telephoneservices, reservation services, referral services, location baseddirectory services, and internet access. In accordance with theforegoing descriptions, such equipment and services, provided via athird party, can be requested by a customer, incorporated into a vehiclerental contract, and managed and activated/deactivated by the vehiclerental service company using the systems and methods described herein.As a result, rental customers can access desired services on a perrental basis, while vehicle rental service companies can enhance revenueopportunities by delivering customized equipment and services to eachrental customer.

The foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose ofexplanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the methodsand systems disclosed herein. While the invention has been describedwith reference to various embodiments, it is understood that the words,which have been used herein, are words of description and illustration,rather than words of limitation. Further, although the invention hasbeen described herein with reference to particular means, materials andembodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to theparticulars disclosed herein; rather, the invention extends to allfunctionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are withinthe scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art, having thebenefit of the teachings of this specification, may effect numerousmodifications thereto and changes may be made without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention in its aspects.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for managing an installed satelliteradio in a rental vehicle, the system comprising: a vehicle rentalservice company fleet comprising a plurality of vehicles available foruse by one or more customers of said vehicle service company, at leastsome of said plurality of vehicles equipped with an installed satelliteradio, each installed satellite radio with a unique identificationnumber and configured to operate in an lockable active mode wherein saidsatellite radio receives signals to unlock and lock access to satelliteradio services, respectively; a reservation system with one or moreservers configured to create vehicle rental reservations in response tocustomer inquiries, wherein the reservations include a check-out time, acheck-in time and a designation of whether satellite radio services arerequested; a reservation management system including a processorconfigured to review rental reservations, identify reservations thatinclude a satellite services designation and generate request messagesrelating to installed satellite radios in vehicles assigned to theidentified rental reservations; a server associated with the reservationmanagement system, connected via a network connection to a satelliteradio service provider, configured to transmit said request messagesrelating to said installed satellite radios to the satellite radioservice provider; a server associated with the satellite radio serviceprovider, configured to receive said request messages directly from thereservation management system server independent of said customers viathe network connection, identify the satellite radios associated withthe request messages, and cause the satellite radio service provider totransmit appropriate signals to each identified satellite radio, therebyenabling rental customers that have requested satellite radio servicesfrom the reservation management system in connection with a vehiclerental to receive satellite radio service in the vehicle associated withthe reservation during the rental period without said rental customersproviding information to the satellite radio service provider, furtherwherein the transmissions from the satellite radio service provider tosaid satellite radios are one-way; further wherein satellite radioservices are provided in the rental vehicles without said rentalcustomers having a satellite radio subscription; further wherein saidrequest messages comprise one or more of the following: an unlockmessage to send a signal to unlock the identified satellite radio; anextend message to extend the period of time the identified satelliteradio is unlocked; a rehit message to resend a signal to unlock theidentified satellite radio; and an exchange message to transfer theunlocked status from the identified satellite radio to a substitutesatellite radio; further wherein each said installed satellite radiodoes not transmit or send signals to the satellite radio serviceprovider directly or indirectly to unlock the identified satellite radioto enable rental customers to receive satellite radio service in thevehicle associated with the reservation during the rental period.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the server associated with the satelliteradio service provider is further configured in response to receipt ofan activation/deactivation request from the reservation managementsystem server, to cause the satellite radio service provider to transmita deactivation signal to each identified satellite radio, therebydisabling satellite radio services in a rental vehicle after the rentalperiod is completed and the vehicle is returned.
 3. The system of claim1, wherein the request message for unlocking of the satellite radio istransmitted to the satellite radio service provider from 5 minutes to 20minutes prior to the reservation check-out time.
 4. The system of claim1, wherein the request message for unlocking of the satellite radio istransmitted to the satellite radio service provider at the check-outtime.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the request message forunlocking of the satellite radio is transmitted to the satellite radioservice provider after the reservation check-out time.
 6. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a fleet management system configured to:generate a list of vehicles in a vehicle rental service fleet including,for each vehicle in the fleet, a designation of whether such vehicleincludes satellite radio equipment and an indication of whether suchvehicle is eligible to participate in the provision of satellite radioservices; store fleet data in a fleet management database; update thefleet data in the fleet management database to reflect vehicles added orremoved from the fleet; and communicate vehicle availability andsatellite radio capability to the rental management system for use inproviding rental services specified in rental reservations.
 7. Thesystem of claim 6, wherein the fleet management system is furtherconfigured to provide the rental management system with informationconcerning vehicles in the fleet having satellite radio capability, andwherein the rental management system is configured to exchange fleetdata with the satellite radio service provider via two-waycommunications through the communications network.
 8. A method formanaging an installed satellite radio in a rental vehicle, the methodcomprising: providing a vehicle rental service company fleet comprisinga plurality of vehicles available for use by one or more customers ofsaid vehicle service company, at least some of said plurality ofvehicles equipped with an installed satellite radio in each saidvehicle, each installed satellite radio with a unique identificationnumber and configured to operate in an lockable active mode wherein saidsatellite radio receives signals to unlock and lock access to satelliteradio services, respectively; creating via a computer network connectionon behalf of a customer a vehicle rental reservation, wherein thereservation includes a vehicle, a location, and a rental period having abeginning date and time and an end date and time; designating within therental reservation a request by the customer for satellite radioservices; associating a rental vehicle from said fleet with the rentalreservation, the rental vehicle being available in the location and atthe dates and times specified by the customer, and having installedsatellite radio; managing the reservation in a networked rentalmanagement system, wherein the networked rental management systemidentifies the reservation as requiring satellite radio services,creates one or more request messages identifying the vehicle associatedwith the reservation, and the installed satellite radio in the vehicle;transmitting the request message directly from the rental managementsystem to a satellite radio service provider via a secure networkconnection independent of said customer, wherein the request messagecontains sufficient information for the satellite radio service providerto identify the vehicle radio to be signaled; and transmitting a signalfrom the satellite radio service provider to the installed satelliteradio in the vehicle associated with the rental reservation, wherein thesatellite radio associated with the reservation is unlocked to enablethe customer to receive satellite radio services during the rentalperiod without said customer providing information to the satelliteradio service provider, further wherein the transmissions from thesatellite radio service provider to said satellite radios are one-way;further wherein satellite radio services are provided in the rentalvehicle without said customer having a satellite radio subscription;further wherein said request messages comprise one or more of thefollowing: an unlock message to send a signal to unlock the identifiedsatellite radio; an extend message to extend the period of time theidentified satellite radio is unlocked; a rehit message to resend asignal to unlock the identified satellite radio; and an exchange messageto transfer the unlocked status from the identified satellite radio to asubstitute satellite radio; and further wherein each said installedsatellite radio does not transmit or send signals to the satellite radioservice provider directly or indirectly to unlock the identifiedsatellite radio to enable rental customers to receive satellite radioservice in the vehicle associated with the reservation during the rentalperiod.
 9. The method for claim 8 wherein the message transmitted fromthe rental management system to a satellite radio service provider via asecure network connection further comprises instructions to transmit adeactivation signal from the satellite radio service provider to theinstalled satellite radio in the vehicle associated with the rentalreservation.
 10. The method for claim 8 wherein the unlock message istransmitted from the rental management system to the satellite radioservice provider from 5 minutes to 20 minutes prior to the start of therental period.
 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the unlock message istransmitted from the rental management system to the satellite radioservice provider at the rental period start date and time.
 12. Themethod of claim 8 wherein the unlock message is transmitted from therental management system to the satellite radio service provider afterthe rental period start date and time.
 13. The method of claim 8,further comprising the steps of managing fleet data by generating a listof vehicles in said fleet including, for each vehicle in the fleet, adesignation of whether such vehicle includes a satellite radio and anindication of whether such vehicle is eligible to participate in theprovision of satellite radio services; storing the fleet data in a fleetmanagement database; updating the fleet data in the fleet managementdatabase to reflect vehicles added or removed from the fleet; andcommunicating vehicle availability and satellite radio capability to therental management system for use in associating a vehicle having therequested satellite radio in the specified location with thereservation.
 14. The method of claim 13, further including the steps ofproviding the rental management system with information concerningvehicles in the fleet having satellite radio capability, and exchangingfleet data with the satellite radio service provider via two-waycommunications transmitted through the secure network connection.